


Battle Scars

by RoseWilliams15



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Blood, F/F, Mentions of Past Torture, nothing too graphic though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-06-14
Packaged: 2020-05-07 13:30:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19210426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseWilliams15/pseuds/RoseWilliams15
Summary: A cold shock of panic shot down her spin and she threw the door open without hesitation. “Kima? Kima, are you in here?”





	Battle Scars

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Hey! If you are still looking for prompts, maybe Allura seeing Kima's underdark scars for the first time?

The sight of blood was one that Allura was intimately familiar with; though seeing it on the door handle of her small cottage in Whitestone certainly gave her some pause.It didn’t take much to deduce that said blood was in fact fresh. A cold shock of panic shot down her spin and she threw the door open without hesitation.

“Kima? Kima, are you in here?” Her voice betrayed her fear and came out far weaker than she had intended it to.

Her only response came in the form of a muffled groan.

Allura only managed to take a few steps in the direction of the sound before she stumbled over the chest plate of Kima’s armor and had to steady herself. The brilliant gold and silver of the armor was dulled by a mixture of dirt and blood. Allura’s heart began to beat faster in her chest.

Another groan snapped Allura’s attention back to the task at hand and she continued on down the hallway. She soon found herself staring at Kima, who must have jumped up onto the kitchen counter. She was dressed in only the bottom half of her armor and a breastband. The halfling was sweating profusely while hastily stitching together a gash on her ribs and muffling her own cries of pain by holding a wooden spoon between her teeth.

“Oh Kima,” Allura murmured as she walked over to the halfling.

She stopped a few feet away though as she scanned the exposed area of Kima’s chest and caught sight of the multitude of scars that covered her small form. Allura swallowed thickly.

“Are you alright?”

Kima glanced up at Allura and traced her gaze down to one of her many reminders of the underdark. She quickly tied off her suture and spit out the spoon.

“I’m fine.” She ground out before she took a hearty swig from the bottle of liquor that had been sitting beside her and looking down at the floor.

Allura’s shoulders dropped at Kima’s response. The halfling was known for her negative outbursts, but that didn’t take away any of the sting her words left.

“Kima…” Her voice came out far stronger this time and the halfling looked up to meet her gaze.

Behind the obvious frustration, Allura could see pain and perhaps even a bit of fear on Kima’s face.Kima took another swig from the bottle and hopped off the counter. Whether it be from blood loss, or the alcohol she’d been using to numb her pain, her landing was unsteady and Allura had to catch her in order to keep her on her feet.

Allura fell to her knees in front of Kima, keeping her hands on the halfling’s shoulders to keep her steady.

“Do you need me to summon Pike? I’m sure she’d be more than willing to help heal that wound.”

Kima shook her head. “No, I told you I’m fine. I used up all my healing power at the training arena to help some idiot recruit that thought he could take me. I just sewed up the wound so I wouldn’t get blood on our bed.” Each word that leaves Kima’s mouth comes with less fire and by the end of her explanation she just sounds exhausted.

“You getting blood on our bed is the least of my worries right now Kima.”

Allura faltered slightly when she insinuated that it was ‘their bed’ because yes, it is technically their bed because they both sleep in it, but sleeping is all they do. They are closer now than they have been in fifteen years, and yet they still can’t get back to the point where they once were. In a world where dragons rule the land and every day could be their last, it seems like an inconsequential thought, but she can’t help but have it anyway.

She cleared her throat and continued. “I am more concerned about what is weighing so heavily on your mind.”

“Can we please have this talk tomorrow Allie? I had to deal with a lot of stupid shit today and I’m exhausted.” Kima brought her hands up to rest on top of Allura’s. “I just can’t do this right now okay?”

Allura nodded in understanding before moving a hand up to Kima’s head and ruffling her hair. “Is it okay if I help you get to bed?”

Kima opened her mouth to disagree but was stopped when Allura put up her index finger to silence her. “I am sure that you could probably do it on your own, however, I refuse to sit here and watch you trip over your own armor and get even more hurt than you already are.”

Kima crossed her arms. “Fine.”

Allura gave her a small smile and began steering her toward their bedroom.

***

As it was only mid afternoon when she fell asleep, Kima found herself rousing groggily around midnight. A quick glance at the side of the bed that was opposite hers showed that Allura had yet to go sleep. With a heavy sigh, Kima glanced down at the freshly pink scab on her ribs. It had healed over nicely over the course of her rest, but would still likely leave a mark.

Kima traced her thumb over some of the older and more prominent scars that decorated her abdomen. Most notable where the burn marks left by Thordak and those she’d brought back from the underdark.

A soft knock on the bedroom door drew her attention up and away from herself.

Allura stood watching her from the doorway with an old book tucked under her arm and a weary expression on her face.

“You haven’t slept.” Kima said simply.

“You needed the rest more than I did and I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Kima noted the dark circles under Allura’s eyes and knew that they told a different story.

“That is bullshit Allie and you know it.” Kima slid off the bed slowly and stood up. If it weren’t for you and Shaun, this whole town would have been dragon food by now.”

A smile tugged on the corner of Allura’s mouth. “Kima…”

“I’m not wrong.” Kima said, closing the distance between herself and Allura and reached for the hand that was hanging loosely at her side, giving it a slight tug in the direction of the bed. “Will you please just come lie down?”

Allura held her ground. “Will you tell me what was bothering you earlier?”

Kima’s grip involuntarily tightened on Allura’s hand and she dropped it immediately. “Sorry.” She looked up at Allura sheepishly.

“There is no apology necessary. I shouldn’t have asked.”

Kima took a deep breath and walked back over to the bed before taking a seat on the edge.

“You knew about the scars I have from when we travelled together, the ones that I earned, the ones that I’m proud of.” Kima fiddled with the blanket underneath her for a moment. “They have been taken over by these.” She said, gesturing to her midsection. “These are the ones that I had no say in getting, the ones that were forced upon me, the ones that show nothing but weakness.” Kima’s voice broke on the last word.

Allura was infront of her in an instant and on her knees for the second time that night just as fast. “You are many things Lady Kima of Vord, but weak is not among them. I know that you went through hell in the Underdark, that you lost a lot down there, possibly even a part of yourself, but you made it out. You survived it all and came back even stronger. I may be what’s keeping this town safe, but I know that when the time comes, you will be one of the people who saves the world.”

Kima kept her gaze on Allura and bit the inside of her cheek as she pondered what to say next.

“Why do you have to be so damn good with your words Allie?” She grumbled after a beat of silence.

“I was simply telling you the truth Kima.”

Kima let out a quiet laugh. “Yeah, but most people would have tried to pity me or give me some weak apology.”

“And that would have accomplished exactly nothing.” Allura said with a knowing smile.

“It’s annoying to see how well you know me sometimes.” Kima said, feigning offense.

Allura scoffed. “After all this time, I’d hope that I know you at least this well.” She’d barely finished the sentence before she let out a monstrous yawn.

“Come on Allie, let’s get you to bed.”

“I’m alright, there’s still more to discuss.”

“Sure, we can talk about whatever else you want, after you get some sleep. The last thing we need is Whitestone falling because you cast polymorph on Shaun instead of reinforcing the barrier in the morning.”

Allura’s eyes grew heavier at just the thought of sleep. “Are you sure you’ll be alright? We were quite literally opening old wounds just now.”

“I’ll be fine, I promise. I’ll even lay down with you so you can keep an eye on me before you fall asleep.”

The bed was looking even more appealing with each passing moment. “Alright.”

“You spend all your time taking care of me, it’s time that I start looking out for what you need.”

Kima took the book that Allura had been holding throughout their entire discussion and set it carefully on Allura’s bedside table before helping the taller woman into the bed and tucking her under the covers. She’d barely made it back around to her side of the bed before she heard soft snores coming from the wizard.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! Comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated. Come find me on tumblr @rosewilliams15


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